Fodor's may use your email address to send you relevant information on site updates, account changes, and offers. For more information about your privacy and protection, please review our full Privacy Policy.

Want to go from Dallas to the beach - which one?

We will be visiting relatives in Dallas this summer. We'd like to spend a few days in Dallas and then three or four on the Texas Gulf Coast. Any suggestions on where to go?

We are looking for:
- a nice beach for kids ages 10 and 6
- good seafood restaurants that we could take the kids to
- our kids are content to spend all thier time on the beach, and we will sightsee in Dallas, so we don't need any touristy stuff - a quiet little town would be great.

Personally, I don't care much for the Texas beaches. The past few years we've gone (Port Aransas, N. Padre) there have been lots of seaweed and jellyfish. Supposedly S. Padre is the nicest, but it's probably a 9 - 10 hour drive from Dallas.

However, we still love the coast, and walks on the beach, hunting for shells, the sea air, etc. We go to Port Royal in Port Aransas (a quaint coastal town). They have the largest swimming pool in Texas (and maybe the Southwest). There is a slide, hot tub, and lots of other activities. It's on the beach, so if your kids want to spend the day at the beach, or part of it, it's there for them.

However, IMHO, the Port Royal is overpriced. While the condos are all nice, a 2 bedroom during the summer will set you back over $300! (It's gone up every year. We may not be back...)

You could opt for N. Padre Island, where you can probably find sufficient condos or apartments for much less.

As Austin says, the nearest nice beach, Padre Island, is at least a 10-hour drive from Dallas. Of course, you could always hop a Southwest Airlines flight to Harlingen and rent a car from there. OR, you could check package deals to Mexico. Often, you can go to an AI resort in Cancun or Playa Del Carmen for the same amount of money as you'd spend to get to SPI...

Destin is in the Florida Panhandle, Gulf Shores is in Alabama. From Dallas Destin is probably a 10 to 11 hour drive. Gulf Shores would probably work for your needs since it's smaller and less touristy than Destin, not to mention a couple of hours closer to Dallas. I'd suggest you make reservations soon!

I lived in Corpus Christi for 18 years--about 20 minutes from Padre Island (which isn't called North or South there) and grew up going to those beaches all summer. I agree with much of what others have said. The beaches on Mustang Island are unspectacular by California and Florida standards, but they aren't bad either by most other standards.

The waves are usually big enough to provide some fun for the kids (provided they are good swimmers) but small enough that mom doesn't have to worry too much. There are usually plenty of shells to find, etc. Things like jellyfish and seaweed are just hit or miss. You could probably find out online if they are supposed to be bad this season--I live in Austin now, so I'm no help in that department.

Port Aransas is a quaint town with some terrific seafood and shops. A place called Beulah's serves some of the best/freshest seafood in the country, but it is a bit pricey.

Port Royal is pretty cool but definitely overpriced. The best thing would be to rent a private condo from someone--there are dozens of them down there. Again, just do a search on google and I'm sure you'll turn up something.

Destin, FL is over 300 miles farther than Port A and Gulf Shores, AL is more than 200 miles farther. The better option would be to go ahead and drive the extra 115 miles down to South Padre which has prettier water and arguably better beaches than either Destin or Gulf Shores.

Another plus to South Padre is that you are very close to Matamoros, Mexico. You could hop over the border and do some shopping and just take advantage of this unique cultural experience. Just stay sober, walk back across the border well before dark, and if you take the kids (better not to), don't let them out of your sight. It's a fun day trip and will be safe as long as your are smart and don't make bad decisions.

I'd be willing to bet you'll get better hotel deals at South Padre too, because there's more competition and it's more of a major tourist destination w/ lots of promotions, etc.

You have not been to Destin if you think that Padre has prettier water OR sand. Destin is far and away much prettier. It closest thing in the US to a Caribbean beach. Go to www.destin-fwb.com. Cycle through the pictures on the main page. The beaches are truly beautiful.

When we lived in Dallas and wanted a beach break, we didn't bother with TX beaches, but went to Destin. I was thinking this as I read through these responses...but we would go for 5 days at least. If you have to drive back to Dallas to fly out after 3 days, I don't know that I'd do Destin!!

The sand and water in Destin is the prettiest there is in FL, IMHO, and we now live near the Clearwater area which also gets rave reviews. Destin beats this area, but they get more of a winter so are not as good for early spring, late fall or winter trips.

Olive Oyle is right. If you have 3 days then are not going to want to drive to Florida. There is nothing wrong with Texas beaches. Are they as nice as Florida? No. Can you have fun in Port Aransas, Mustang Island, Padre Island National Seashore? Sure, it's the beach of course you'll have fun. I loved the Padre beaches as a kid. And by the way, nothing is more disapointing than shelling out the dough to fly to Destin or drive all the way there and find the beaches and water there covered in red seaweed. They've got it there too.

Thanks for all the replies. We're thinking of the Destin of Gulf Shores area now. We are driving to Dallas from St. Louis, so instead of going back to Dallas, we're thinking of a long circular route - Dallas, beach, back home. We're also thinking more like five or six beach days.

Perfect. Definitely do Destin over So TX beaches! You'll be amazed at the water color and clarity, and the white white sand. We were fortunate in many years of going, never to have hit it during a period of seaweed, but it can happen anywhere.

Yes!! Much closer. Destin's beaches are even prettier than Sarasota's, nicer sand, clearer water, and color of water as good or better than Sarasota. You won't be disappointed...but Destin can get pretty crowded in the summer. (Otherwise, it'd just be too good to be true). Secrets like that one don't last.

>
Rockport, TX.
The other day I was watching Bob Phillips' Country Reporter (local TV show) and he did a story on Hoopes House Bed & Breakfast. Sounded & looked wonderful > > http://www.hoopeshouse.com/

Lake Travis in Austin---about four hours away from Dallas has clear blue water and white sand shores---not as good as the Carribean but beats the heck out of the Gulf. It's surrounded by Hills. There are several good restaurants near the water like Iguana Grill.

Stillhollow Lake in Killeen is similar. It is a little closer to Dallas, but it is much less populated than Austin. It doesn't have much to offer in the way of restaurants or watersports.

Also, you might consider going an hour further down from Austin for tubing in the guadulupe rive in New Braunfels. Kids love that.

Catmomma be right--the lakes in Texas are more fun and closer. One reason why you'd need to travel far south on the gulf is to get away from the pollution from the Bayshore refineries around Houston and Galveston.